A figure skating coach who once trained Olympic champion Tara Lipinski has been suspended pending an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct first made against him nearly 20 years ago.

Richard Callaghan was accused of sexual misconduct in April 1999 by one of his former students. The student told The New York Times that Callaghan had engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with him beginning when he was 15 years old, which began nearly 20 years earlier. Callaghan denied the allegations.

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The U.S. Center for SafeSport, the U.S. Olympic Committee's misconduct watchdog, announced Callaghan's suspension on its website this week. U.S. Figure Skating then issued an order barring him from all of its events until further notice.

On Friday, Callaghan, 72, told ABC News : "That's 19 or 20 years ago. I have nothing to say."